Tuesday, 25 June 2013

Raw beet and cucumber medallions

It
is unquestionable that the moon has a great influence on
relationships and on the cycles of life.

Sunday was a special day because the moon
reached its closest point to Earth, and we could observe it bigger
and brighter. Its proximity exerted a magnetic field surrounded by a
special energy, whose strength was possible to assimilate with
greater vigor.

Inspired
by this energy, I decided to prepare a dish based on the circle form
of the moon and I designed beet and cucumber medallions.

Beetroot
has a sweet flavor due to its richness in sugars. To preserve all its
properties, it is ideal to consume it raw. By eating it raw all its
richness in iron, protein, vitamin A, B1, B2, B5, C, potassium,
sodium, phosphorus, calcium, zinc, iron are preserved. It is a tasty
root, with a beautiful color and a home remedy for anemia and for
purifying the liver and the blood.

When
you buy beets check if they are smooth, if the color is uniform and the leaves glossy.

I
also used cucumber to balance the sweet of the beet. Cucumber is a
natural diuretic because of its high water content. It is low in
calories, high in fiber, carotene, magnesium and potassium. It
contributes to bone health and to muscle flexibility.

When
you buy cucumber check if the rind is firm, bright and luminous.

To
fill the medals I prepared a tasty and rich cream with avocado,
sesame paste, lemon and fresh coriander.

I
just love avocados! I think it was the fruit that I most ate when I was
a child as the place where I grew up was very rich in avocatos and
they were delicious!

Although
avocado is rich in fat these fats are healthy as they are unsaturated
acids that can even help you lose weight by balancing the body. A
full fruit, rich in proteins, vitamins and calories. Among those,
omega 6, 7 and 9, vitamin E, beta carotene, potassium, magnesium and
folic acid.

For complementing
the properties and the taste of avocado, I added sesame paste
(tahin).

Sesame
paste is well known for its use in Mediterranean and Middle East
recipes, such as the traditional "hummus". This butter
paste is naturally obtained by roasting and grounding sesame seeds
which are rich in calcium, proteins, fats, vitamins and good quality.
Hmm, so tasty ...

To
neutralize the acidity of our internal body and to obtain an alkaline
effect I added lemon juice. Lemon fruit works as an antibiotic, it
has antibacterial properties and it is very rich in vitamin C.

Ingredients:

(Serves
2)

2
beets

½
cucumber

1
avocado

1
tbsp tahin

1
+ ½ tbsp lemon juice

1
handful of fresh coriander

salt
to taste

1
tbsp olive oil

alfalfa
sprouts

Sesame
seeds

2
strawberries

Wash
and peel the beets.

Cut
them in very thin slices (I used my food processor).

Sprinkle
them with salt and olive oil. Let them stand for 15 minutes to
activate their properties and to make them softer.

Cut
the avocado in half and remove the pulp. Place it in a blender and
add the sesame paste, the fresh coriander, the lemon juice and the
salt. Grind until you have a creamy paste and rectify the seasoning.

Cut
the cucumber into very thin slices.

Wash
the strawberries and cut into slices.

Start
preparing the dish:

Put
slices of beet and cucumber on a plate. Place the filling on top and
cover with a new slice.

Garnish
the top of the medallions with alfalfa sprouts and strawberries.

Sprinkle
with sesame seeds.

* Cucumber medallions have an intense flavor. If you don't appreciate it, you can either use zucchini. If you choose zucchini, sprinkle it with salt and olive oil as you did with the beets.